Strawberry Cheesecake Brûlée French-Toast Cups

Ingredients

French-toast shells

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, for the tin
• 12 slices soft brioche, about ½ inch thick
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Cheesecake center

• 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Brûlée and berries

• 4 tbsp granulated sugar, divided into 12 tsp for brûlée
• 1 cup finely diced strawberries
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar, for the berries
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Equipment

Standard 12-cup metal muffin tin, rolling pin, mixing bowls, kitchen torch, instant-read thermometer

Allergens and ingredient notes: Wheat, milk, egg; check brioche ingredients.

Step by step

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush all twelve muffin wells with the melted butter. Flatten the brioche slices with a rolling pin; trim only stiff outer crusts if necessary, saving them for another use. Whisk shell eggs, milk, shell sugar, shell vanilla, and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
2. Dip each bread slice quickly into the egg mixture, about 1 second per side. Press into a muffin well, overlapping corners to form a cup with no large gaps. Divide any remaining egg mixture evenly over the bread in the wells, avoiding pools at the bottom.
3. Beat cream cheese and its separate sugar smooth, then mix in the cheesecake egg, sour cream, and vanilla just until combined. Divide evenly among the twelve bread cups, about 2 tbsp filling per cup; keep below the bread rim.
4. Bake 22–28 minutes, until bread edges are golden, the cheesecake is set with only a slight wobble, and the center of the filling reaches 160°F (71°C). If bread edges brown early, tent loosely with foil. Cool in the tin 10 minutes, then loosen and lift onto a rack to cool 10 more minutes.
5. While the cups cool, toss diced strawberries with their separate 1 tbsp sugar and lemon juice; let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle exactly 1 tsp brûlée sugar over the exposed cheesecake in each cup. Using a kitchen torch, melt the sugar in short passes until amber, keeping the flame on the sugar and away from bread edges.
6. Let the sugar set 2 minutes, then divide the strawberries and their juices over the cups and serve. Torch just before serving for a crisp lid. This method requires a kitchen torch; do not put a non-broiler-safe muffin tin under a broiler.

The Devotti twist: The bread becomes a French-toast shell around baked cheesecake, with a thin caramelized lid replacing frosting.

Make ahead and storage

Refrigerate cooled, untopped cups within 2 hours; use within 3 days. Keep berries refrigerated separately. Add brûlée sugar and berries immediately before serving.